I am looking for an online course for kitchen and bath design. Are there any schools that offer this online choice”

(submitted by D. Daniels)

It was almost impossible to track down any online classes exclusively in kitchen and bath [K&B], though there are a few design schools that offer K&B as a specialty degree. Art Institute’s Dallas, Denver and Las Vegas locations do so, for example (or least did at the time of this writing).

The K&B design field involves a great deal of detailed knowledge about construction, space planning, ergonomics, universal design, millwork, plumbing, electrical, building codes, coordination of trades, performance of materials, hardware and appliances, etc. Most designers that end up in K&B tend to get a regular interior design degree and then do not specialize until they get out into the world and start working for others. For example, Certified Master Kitchen & Bath Design Sharon Flatley, who actually contributed an answer to a reader’s question for P&C on the subject.

But back to your question… The closest thing that I found was Century College in Minnesota, but the best place for you to really dig deep is on the National Kitchen & Bath Association [NKBA] website’s Student section. In fact, you should just email or call the NKBA directly for direction on this. As this is their industry niche and as they endorse certain programs, they should know.

Another source that might be able to help you is Kitchen & Bath Design News. These are people who write about this industry exclusively, so they would likely have knowledge of what is being offered out there.

If these sources do not know, then you will need to research and contact online design institutions to find out what their K&B offerings are. For your convenience, I have listed some of them here in alphabetical order:

Academy of Art University – Online
American InterContinental University Online
Art Institute Online
Ashworth University
International Academy of Design and Technology Online
Limperts Academy of Design
Rhodec International
Seminole Community College
Sheffield School of Interior Design
Westwood College

This should get you started on your K&B quest. The best of luck with your design endeavors!